I think you should take advantage of the time you're not flying. And here's how:

Get a chair that sits you upright, as in sitting in a plane. Close your eyes. Imagine the controls in front of you. Repeat your last lesson. Move your hands and feet, turn your head, 'hear' your instructor. Repeat over and over.

Here's what you'll find (from my experience and from several others who have followed this advice - which didn't come from me originally)

When you get in the plane for your next lesson, your instructor won't have to repeat much if any of your previous lesson.

You will learn MUCH faster, and save quite a bit of money.

I wasted the first 14 hours of my training, then started doing this and finished my PPL in 46 hours (including the check-ride). IR in 40.5 hours.

I have seen this work over and over again. Live, eat, drink, breath flying, instead of calculating how many days you might be able to fly. When you're not practising or actually flying, be reading about it.

The tables of flyable days are interesting but I suppose we should consider the numbers flexible. As has already been pointed out we all have different weather limits.

It would be very interesting to see the exercise done at different locations. (No it's OK Geekyflyer. You've got studying to do.) When I read about people in England suffering repeated weather cancellations, the East of Scotland must rival Florida by comparison. Either that or there are a bigger proportion of wimpy instructors in England. I have noticed the last couple of years the flying weather has been best in spring and autumn.

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there are some serious considerations of dosh and plane availability to consider when talking about IFR in the UK.

If you want any sort of utility from your licence in the UK an IMC/IR is essential. It changes the way you plan and fly for ever, even when VFR. Joining a group with a capable aircraft is probably better than hiring. No minimum daily hours.

The proliferation of microlight types has meant the PPLs qualified to fly IMC are reducing in number. This has got to be a backward step.

darkroomscource does what I have done/do. Trouble is, I do it in bed so seldom get much further than pre start checks

P-Swinger you miss the point. Part of my post related to an IR not an IMC rating (which is a UK only thing). In the USA all aircraft are treated as equal,with ratings designed to have a common theme regardless of what aircraft you are in. Punative charges for ILS approaches hardly encourage practice in the UK and ATC certainly do NOT like mixing light aircraft with commercial operations. With a UK instrument rating one is faced with exams that are 75% of the old CPL which is why every man and his dog goes for a FAA rating to fly their Citation or twin turbo prop. If we are all sharing the same airspace then the regulations need to be such that a PPL can reasonably gain competence without a financial penalty. It is to everyones advantage to see that 'Air Users' understand the requirements of others, and a better understanding leads to less conflict. I have no problem with the old IMC rating,but many holders of this rating do not understand its legal limitations in controlled airspace.